


A Marauder's Life

by dagobletofiyah



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Don’t count on it though, Established Relationship, F/M, I made it teen just to be safe because of swearing but its very mild, M/M, MWPP, Marauders era, Slice of Life, there’s not really a plot but maybe I’ll add more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-17 01:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14178009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dagobletofiyah/pseuds/dagobletofiyah
Summary: Lily started dating James about a month ago and is still getting to know the Marauders.





	A Marauder's Life

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a very short, silly little ficlet, but I couldn't stop and then it turned into this. I guess that's the result of never having actually written any marauders fanfiction despite it being almost all I read. The characters start talking in my head and I just hope that as I write down all their banter, it makes some sense and doesn't drag on too tirelessly. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

James snorted into his goblet, spraying everyone around him with pumpkin juice as Remus waved his sandwich around to emphasize the point he was making. He and Remus were having another one of their heated debates, this time about the specifics of time travel. They did this quite often. Lily used to think James was annoying because during times like this he would _never shut up_. But since she had started dating James and sitting next to him in the Great Hall, she had begun to actually listen to what James and Remus were talking about, and she had to admit, they were actually rather interesting and intelligent conversations.

“--so then that means you wouldn’t be able to go back and change time, because it would already have been changed, like,” James was saying.

“But then how would anyone know to go back in time to alter events?” asked Remus skeptically.

“The events leading up to the point you went back to would remain as they were, so you could see the build-up and anticipate the outcome…” James countered eagerly.

“So then if you already knew what would happen, could you just do nothing and the same result would come of it?” Peter interjected.

“Hmm good point Pete,” said James.

“Well, but if you know you do something, you would still have to do it for it to be done,” Remus mused.

“True, but I still think he has a point, like somehow you will end up doing the thing...I guess whatever choice you end up making has always been what you will choose and no matter what somehow you will end up doing whatever.”

Well, sometimes. The conversations were usually exasperatingly pointless as well, but, despite that, if Lily was being honest, she really found it quite charming how enthusiastic James got about it.

“You get a weird sort of paradox if you do something because you know you have to because you saw yourself do it before…is that even possible? Because why would you do it in the first place unless there was a reason…”

“Oh, weird, but assuming it is possible, if you choose not to act despite the knowledge of what you will do, then the thing would still happen--”

“Only because you do end up doing it. There’s no avoiding it remember, you _know_ you end up doing it, in that case something would have to make you--”

Peter shrugged and reached for the potatoes as James and Remus continued their debate.

Lily looked fondly at the two of them for a moment. In the span of only the month since she and James had started dating she had grown to love the Marauders (that was what they called themselves, anyways). Then she shifted her gaze across the table to where Sirius was sitting. He was smiling affectionately at his friends’ antics, content for the most part to sit back and watch them.

“How long have they kept this up before?” Lily asked, amused, as James choked on his pumpkin juice and Peter started thumping him on the back.

“Mate you’ve gotta swallow before you talk, it’s bad manners,” Remus said in mock disdain. Sirius sniggered, gazing fondly at Remus. He didn’t seem to have heard Lily’s question.

“Sirius?” she asked.

“Wha—sorry,” he said, turning to face her. “Er, what did you say?”

“You space out for a second?”

“Haha, I guess, I mean, Remus just has _such_ a beautiful face, I can’t help staring” Sirius joked, bumping Remus with his shoulder and exchanging a grin with him as Remus turned briefly, pausing in the mid-sentence to whack Sirius with his napkin. James took Remus’s momentary silence as opportunity to launch into an explanation of exactly why he didn’t agree with the point Remus had been in the middle of making. Remus turned back to James indignantly and tried to talk over him.

“What’s the longest they’ve gone on like this?” Lily tried again.

“Oh, who knows, sometimes they keep it up for days” replied Sirius, rolling his eyes fondly. He trying to serve himself salad, but was having a hard time, as he was only using one hand. Lily watched, confused. He kept other arm, the one closer to Remus, at his side. Had he injured it? Maybe helping James practice Quidditch? James was known to be a bit ruthless when it came to Quidditch.

“Sirius, for fucks sake, just use both hands,” said Remus, pulling Lily out of her thoughts.

Sirius heaved a dramatic sigh and lifted his hand from under the table to pick up the other salad spoon. Once he had shoveled a sufficient helping onto his plate, he reached for Remus’ hand, which was resting on the table between them. Oh, so that was why Sirius didn’t want to use that hand. It was really kind of sweet, Lily thought, as well as a bit over dramatic, like everything Sirius did. Sirius was a tactile sort of person, and was always hugging his friends. But he seemed to especially favor Remus, Lily noticed.

After dinner, the marauders and Lily made their way up to the Gryffindor common room. James and Remus had momentarily paused their discussion, vowing to return to it at breakfast the next day. James and Sirius were now telling Peter about some new Zonko’s product, and Remus dropped back to walk next to Lily.

“Sirius’ birthday is in a week,” Remus told her in a low voice. “I actually got him one of those.” He accompanied this last statement with a rather wicked grin.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re plotting something?” Lily asked.

“Oh, I am,” Remus replied with a smirk. “I thought, rather than just give it to him to use on someone else, I could let him...discover it, test it out himself.” He had a mischievous glint in his eye which reminded Lily just how much of a prankster he really was.

“Remus!” Lily exclaimed, laughing. “It’s his birthday of all days!”

Remus waved a hand dismissively. “He deserves it, lil shit.” He smiled affectionately. Lily found herself grinning despite herself as she shook her head at him.

That was another thing about Remus Lupin. He swore rather a lot, Lily thought. More, even, than the other marauders. Honestly, how she had ever thought he was any better than the rest of them was a mystery. True, he was a prefect, and she supposed he did tend to be less loud and impulsive, but that didn’t make him any less prone to mischief.

* * *

 Upon reaching the common room, James bade the others goodnight and went up to the dormitory for an early night, seeing as he had a quidditch match early the next day and wanted to get as much rest as possible beforehand. Though quarter to eight was slightly ridiculously early, in Lily’s opinion, she had to admit she admired his dedication. She was thinking about turning in herself, maybe reading a bit before bed, when Peter asked if she would like to sit with them by the fire for a bit.

“I don’t know if I can stand a whole evening with just the two of them.” Peter waved a hand toward Remus and Sirius, who were sprawled together on one of the couches near the fire.

Lily chuckled and accepted, feeling like she should really get to know James’ friends a little better if she was going to be dating him. She took a seat in an armchair next to Peter and across from Remus and Sirius. Remus was attempting to braid Sirius’ shoulder-length hair.

“Ow, Moony, be gentle!” exclaimed Sirius.

“Stop moving Padfoot, you’re making it come undone.”

Sirius muttered something Lily couldn’t hear and Remus burst out laughing.

“Padfoot! Damn, you made me let go! Now I have to start over,” Remus complained.

Sirius merely rolled his eyes and flicked a hair tie at him.

“Lily!” Sirius greeted her as she sat down. Then, in a conspiratorial whisper, “Tell us, how’s James treating you? Living up to his many declarations of why he would make the perfect boyfriend?”

“Haha, you know,” she replied thoughtfully, “he hasn’t made good on his promise to charm all the portraits to serenade me to class.”

“What?” Sirius glared in mock outrage. “I’ll have to have a word with him about making empty promises.

“Please don’t,” Lily said, giving him puppy eyes. It had been unclear whether James had been serious or not about that. If Sirius was dramatic, he could be nothing compared to James when Lily was concerned.

“Moony,” Peter cut in, “Is that supposed to be a niffler’s nest? Because I have to say, you’ve managed to perfectly replicate the chaotic aesthetic.” He looked at Remus’ handiwork in mock admiration.

“I don’t know what you’re getting at, Wormtail,” said Remus, looking offended. “It’s a braid.”

“What did he do?” asked Sirius with narrowed eyes. “My hair better all be there, Moony.”

He turned his head so Lily could see Remus’ attempt at a braid. She laughed. It’s okay, Sirius, Remus just doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Sirius looked relieved. He put a hand up to his head to make sure that his hair was, in fact, still intact.

“It took me ages to grow it out this long.”

“If you want,” Lily offered, “I can redo them for you if you want.”

Sirius looked like he was considering her offer for a second, but then he said, “Thanks, but it’s okay. I’ll keep them like this.” He turned to smile at Remus, who looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Thanks, Moony.”

“You’re welcome Padfoot.” Looking mollified, he yawned and stretched out along the couch, resting his head in Sirius’ lap. Sirius absent-mindedly reached a hand down to comb his fingers through Remus’ hair. The full moon was half a week away, and Remus was beginning to feel the draining effects of it.

“Recon Prongs and team’ll pull through tomorrow?” Sirius asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“They better, what with this talk of smashing Hufflepuff to slithereens and all,” said Peter.

“True, he has been going on about pulverizing the ‘Puffs until, and here I quote”--Sirius put on his best imitation of a Quidditch lad-- “‘they can’t tell their eye-balls from their ball-balls as both will be wet with BLOOD.’” Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Ugh, Sirius, that is an image I did _not_ need in my head,” groaned Lily.

“I’m just repeating what your boyfriend exclaimed in a passionate yelling fit one day after one the Hufflepuff prefects on the team docked fifty points from us.”

“I thought he didn’t care much about points,” said Lily.

“Oh, he doesn’t. It was a matter of principle.”

Lily looked at him quizzically.

“He thought they were just mad about Gryffindor having won by ten points at the last match. Thought it didn’t show good sportsmanship. You know how he gets about that sort of thing.”

Actually, Lily hadn’t known. She knew James was somewhat obsessed with Quidditch, but she hadn’t known how much a fair game or _sportsmanship_ mattered to him. Her respect for him rose.

“Anyways, he had smuggled a load of banned Zonkos stuff in for us—Filch searched our bags when we arrived—and I thought he was on our side! Filthy hypocrite, punishing us for breaking the rules…”

“We better win though,” Remus interjected sleepily. “We went to such trouble to wrangle that firewhisky off Aberforth, the lil shit.”

“Wait, you guys are seventeen already?” Lily asked skeptically.

“No, but that’s never stopped him from selling to us before,” said Sirius.

“Arsehole,” added Remus helpfully, his eyes closed as Sirius continued to stroke his hair. Sirius laughed softly.

“Moony has a talent for convincing authority to ignore the fact that he breaks the rules every other minute,” Peter explained to Lily, who was only slightly surprised that Prefect Remus had been smuggling illegal alcohol into Hogwarts, apparently for some time now.

A snore suddenly came from Remus. Sirius looked down at him with a tender expression and gently shook the boy draped over his lap.

“Moony.” He said softly. “Remus, get up so I don’t have to carry you upstairs to bed.”

Remus groaned in protest but allowed Sirius to pull him to his feet.

“Goodnight, Evans, Wormtail. See you tomorrow for the big match! Let’s pray Gryffindor wins so Moony here can get drunk and put that firewhiskey to good use.” He winked mischievously and dragged the half-asleep Remus up the stairs to the boys’ dormitory.

“Are they…?” Lily turned to Peter, hesitating. She didn’t want to make assumptions and be perceived as narrow-minded. She wasn’t someone who thought boys couldn’t cuddle platonically. But there was definitely something different than just friendship between Sirius and Remus.

Peter seemed to know what she was thinking, as he smiled reassuringly at her and said “Are they together?”

Lily nodded. Peter really was quite perceptive, she thought.

“Yeah, they are. They got together last year. I’m just glad we don’t have to deal with them pining after each other anymore.” He shook his head. “Well, I guess I better get to bed myself. Prongs’ll probably wake us up at the crack of dawn trying to hype everybody up.”

He got to his feet and stretched his arms over his head. His shirt rode up slightly, revealing his pudgy, pale stomach and he tugged it down self-consciously.

“Goodnight, Lily.”

“Goodnight, Peter,” said Lily, standing as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Any feedback is welcome!


End file.
